Johnson's History of Cooper County
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History of Cooper County Missouri by W. F. Johnson Pages 401 - 450 Fred G. Lohse (Transcribed by Laura Paxton) Fred G Lohse The general store of M Lohse & Son managed by Fed G Lohse is one of the old established and most successful business concerns in Boonville. A large room on Main Street is stocked with high class groceries, dry goods and feed and the Lohse store unquestionably carries the largest stock of goods of its kind in the city. Some specialties which have made this store famous throughout the country are its home roasted coffees, fresh made peanut products or butter and the Heinz products. The Lohse store sells more kraut than all other stores in Boonville combined and the store always presents a busy, hustling scene, the force of five employees being kept busily employed in caring for the large trade. Lohse and Son caters to the highest class of trade in Cooper County and makes a distinction in favor of quality of the goods sold rather than in the quantity. H. Lohse, father of Fred G Lohse, was born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1845 and immigrated to America in 1863 to escape military service in the Prussian army. He came to Boonville and engaged in the manufacture of lime, operating a lime kiln successfully until 1916. He married Carrie Stubbins who departed this life when Fred G Lohse was but a child. The children born to M and Carrie Lohse are as follows: Fred G. Bottom of Page 401 of this review; William, engaged in the automobile business at St Louis MO; Mrs. Flora Hale died in 1916; Leslie is connected with the largest wholesale grocery corporation west of the Mississippi River with headquarters at Tucson Ariz.; Edgar, the youngest of the family is a soldier in the National Army. He enlisted in the army at the age of 16 years and saw service on the Mexican border, later going to France when America entered the World War. He is a sergeant in Company B, 140th Regiment of the famous 35th Division which so covered itself with glory in the severe fighting at St. Mihiel and the Argonne Forest on the western front in France. Fred G Lohse was born in Boonville MO March 3 1881 and was reared and educated in this city. He embarked in business in 1898 and has risen to become one of the leading and influential merchants of Boonville during the past 21 years. The success of M Lohse & Son has been due to his energy, ability and natural aptitude for business. Mr. Lohse was married in 1901 to Miss Myme Gibbons, a daughter of the late Frank Gibbons who was prominent in the affairs of Boonville for several years was a member of the Commercial Club and was active in boosting the commercial advantages of Boonville. Mr. Lohse is a Republican and active and influential booster for Boonville liberal in his contributions to worthy causes intended for the advancement of the best interests and growth of his native city. For the past 15 years he has been superintendent of the Methodist Sunday school and takes a just pride in conducting its affairs. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias. Bottom of Page 402 James William Jones (Transcribed by Laura Paxton) www.mogenweb.org/cooper James William Jones, city collector of Boonville MO is a native of this county. Mr. Jones was born in Boonville June 10 1863 and is a son of Thomas P Jones who was born in Ireland in 1834 and died June 5 1900. Thomas P Jones was a son of James I Jones who immigrated to America in 1840 first resided in New York and then came to Boone County MO and in 1854 located in Boonville. When he attained maturity he became engaged in the transfer and freighting industry and hauled goods from the river front of Boonville to Tipton and points in the southwest for a number of years. When the overland freighting industry waned and the steam railroads took up the work formerly done by oxen and mules, Mr. Jones followed the trade of carpenter. He married Anna Cochran born in 1842 in Turley County Mayo Ireland a daughter of John Cochran who came to America in 1850 and settled at Bottom of Page 402 Boonville and engage in farming in Cooper County. To Thomas P and Anna Jones were born eight children of whom five are still living: J W Jones is the oldest of the family; Samuel F is yard master in the railroad yards ST. Louis MO; Rosa at home in Boonville; Alice Jones is a trained nurse at the Kemper Military School, Boonville MO; Margaret Jones is a saleslady in Chasnoff's store in Boonville MO. Desirous of obtaining an education than was afforded by the public schools of this day, James W Jones entered the employ of Professor Kemper and worked his way through the Kemper School doing most of his studying at night after his days work was done. He served an apprentice ship in the carpenter trade and went to California in 1885, where he followed his trade for the next seven years. He was then employed in the rolling stock department of the Southern Pacific railroad until he was seriously injured in 1896 by a fall from a moving train. Returning to Boonville he engaged in contracting. Mr. Jones built the Farmers Bank building, the Gmelich residence, the Schnack home on High Street, the Colored Public School and many other fine buildings and residences in Cooper County. He retired from business in the spring of 1918 and has served as city collector since April 1918. His old injury had manifested itself in spinal trouble and after he had completed the erection of the IOOF building, Mr. Jones suffered a severe spell of sickness which left him incapacitated for further active work. Mr. Jones is a Republican and a member of the Knights of Pythias. Thomas P Jones when 17 years of age crossed the Great Plains in 1851 with a cattle outfit owned and operated by Berry & Potter. After had assisted in driving a large drove of cattle across the plains to the Pacific Coast he remained in California for about four years, engaged in mining and farming. During the Civil War he was enrolled as a member of the Missouri State Guards and took part in some minor battles with his command. HE owned a few teams of horses and kept his horses at the tanyard. George Sahm was then engaged in the shoe business in Boonville and Mr. Sham at the time of Shelby's raid and the capture of Boonville, hid his stock of shoes and boots in the empty cistern owned by Mr. Jones. Shelby's men captured Mr. Jones and Mr. Sahm, forced Jones to go for his teams, and made Sahm recover his stock of shoes and boots from the cistern. The footwear was loaded on Jones' wagon and they were driven out to Caleb Jones' place southwest of town both men being taken along as prisoners. At an opportune time, Mr. Jones eluded his guards who were intent on Bottom of Page 403 getting a pair of boots and them went on. A squad of cavalry met him on the road and asked "Where in hell are you going?" Jones answered "I am going for another load of boots." The other www.mogenweb.org/coopertold him, "Go ahead." With Mr. Sahm lying in the bottom of the wagon, Jones drove the wagon to "Boonville, put up the team and then hid in the brush for some time. The most important and the largest contract ever undertaken by Mr. Jones was the erection of the Phoenix American Pipe Works in Boonville. Oscar Spieler (Transcribed by Laura Paxton Oscar Spieler proprietor of the "Riverview Stock Farm" in Saline township, the "Home of the Big Bone Spotted Poland Chinas," is one of Cooper County's most progressive and successful stockmen. Mr. Spieler was born Aug 21 1870near California Moniteau County MO, a son of F E and Elizabeth (Young) Spieler, natives of Germany and New York, respectively. Frederick Ernest and Elizabeth Spieler were the parents of the following children: Emma; Maggie; Mrs. Sophia Schilb of Pilot Grove MO; Mrs. F E Eberhardt of California MO; Mrs. Ida T Farris of Boonville; Theodore, Richard and Nora at home. F E Spieler was a Union veteran. He served in the Civil War for four years, from 1861 to 1865, enlisting in Moniteau County MO., where he had located prior to the war. Mr. Spieler was wounded in a skirmish near Gooch's Mill in Cooper County when he was shot in the right arm. He came with his family to Cooper County in 1873 and settled on the farm now owned by Oscar Spieler. The father is now deceased and his remains rest in Schmidt Cemetery and the widowed mother resides with her son Oscar. Mrs. Elizabeth (Young) Spieler was born Oct 22 1844 in New York City a daughter of Henry and Margaret Young, who settled in Missouri in 1854. "The Riverview Stock Farm" is located seven miles east of Boonville and comprises 240 acres of valuable land on the south bank of the Missouri River. This is the home of the Big Bone Spotted Poland China hogs. Mr. Spieler purchased his most valuable brood sow in March 1917. In the spring of 1918 he had 15 sows to farrow and from 15 litters raised 108 pigs, selling 105 from this same herd in 1918, 87 of them being shipped out by express.